Paris calling
by AnnaFIRTH
Summary: POST TARGET-PRE HUNT. What is he doing lying on his bed pretending to catch some sleep when his baby is out there?


_HEY PEOPLE! SO HERE'S MY POST TARGET, PRE HUNT FIC. I MIGHT WRITE A SECOND CHAPTER, BUT I'M NOT SURE, YET._

_LAST NIGHT'S EPISODE WAS BEYOND PERFECT APART FROM THE FACT THAT I WAS A SOBBING MESS AND THAT I COULDNT STOP SHAKING. NATHAN'S PERFORMANCE IS WORTH AND EMMY AND DONT EVEN GET ME STARTED WITH MOLLY. SHE NAILED EVERY SCENE._

_SO HERE YOU GO._

_ENJOY IT!_

_I don't own Castle, cos if I did Hunt would have been aired last night after Target and we wouldn't have to wait a whole damn week to watch the episode._

* * *

_Paris._

His daughter had been flown to the other side on the Atlantic Ocean. To Europe.

_Holy shit._

How did them take Alexis and Sarah in such short time? Are they really in France then, or the kidnappers are just playing with him, the FBI and the NYPD?

He is left alone when he finally closes the front door after letting all the FBI guys out to get some rest.

_What should he do?_

Take some rest, just as Kate said, but there's no way he'd rest knowing that her baby is alone in Paris and in hands of whoever took her, but at least she didn't look hurt, yes scared and tired, but she seemed to be in shape, no bruises or marks.

Which was a good sign.

He walks back into his room and changes into comfy sweatpants and a blue t-shirt. When he's ready he steps back into the kitchen and is about to cook some pasta when he hears a knock on the door.

He really doesn't want to see anyone. Anyone, but the woman standing at the other side of the door.

_Kate._

"Hey Castle." She says breaking the silence.

"Kate…" He breathes out, "Come on in." He says stepping aside.

Kate walks to the living room and when she's about to say something Castle speaks again. "Alexis called…" That's all he says. He's almost in tears and barely has strength to stand still, until Kate hugs him.

He lets his walls come down; he doesn't have to be strong around her so tears start running down his sad and tired face again. His lower lip starts to tremble and his knees go weak.

"Castle, sit down." Kate guides him to the couch; she takes a seat next to him and places her left hand on his knee to let him know that she's here and that he can count on her.

"She _skyped_ me Kate. She called from France. What the hell is she doing in France?" Castle asks.

"I don't know Castle but Espo and Ryan are working on it." Kate explains moving her hand up and down Castle's back.

"Why aren't you with them?" Castle asks still not doing eye contact.

"I… I thought… I just wanted to see you…" She admits and Rick immediately lifts his head up to meet his girlfriend's beautiful green eyes.

"Kate… I'm sorry about today."

"You don't have to apologize."

"Yes, Kate I do. I'm sorry I pushed you aside but I just…"

"Rick, don't worry about that. What matters now is that you're okay and that we're doing all we can to find Alexis. Gates was talking to the Paris Police when I left."

"Oh-kay…" Castle sobs letting his body fall onto the couch.

"You stay here. I'm gonna make us some dinner." Kate says bending over him so she can softly kiss his cheek, "Relax."

Kate makes herself at home and cooks some past for her and Castle. She knows how much he loves spaghetti so that's her choice.

She wakes him up and hour later and they share dinner in complete silence but looking at each other from time to time.

Kate can say Castle's glad that she's here but there's still something he's holding up from her. Something he doesn't want to share and that she desperately wants to know. Then she realizes how private she was with him, at the beginning, whenever he wanted to talk about her mother's murder and that is exactly what he's doing now.

* * *

"I want her back Kate." Castle says later that evening when both are lying at their side of the bed, looking at nothing but the celling, "And don't say we will do soon, because you don't know that." He adds before Kate can even say a word.

"Castle listen to me okay?" Kate rises her voice and sits down on the mattress, "I can promise you that we will get Alexis back because we will; we always solve all the murders, don't we?"

Castle nods.

"Is my job to find people, this is what I'm good at."

Castle doesn't reply, he just nods and closes his eyes to sleep.

* * *

It's 3am when his eyes pop open.

_Alexis._

What is he doing lying on his bed pretending to catch some sleep when his baby is out there?

He jumps off his bed, careful enough to not wake Kate up and walks to his office where he turns his laptop on. While he waits for the machine to start working he thinks if what he's about to do is really a good idea.

He doesn't care. Alexis needs him and he needs her.

He enters the American Airlines website and books the earliest flight to Paris.

_8am. Good he still has five hours. _

He takes an hour to prepare a bag with enough clothes for a week and then writes a note to his mother, which he slips under her bedroom door; and one for Kate, which he leaves on the nightstand, next to her father's watch.

He makes sure he has everything he needs and before leaving the loft he walks into his bedroom again and stares at Kate for a good long minute.

He squats next her and watches the detective sleep; he knows she's going to be mad at him for leaving without saying a thing but a two lines note but he needs to do it.

He reaches for her hand, gives it a gentle squeeze while he softly kisses her forehead and without looking back he grabs his things and leaves the loft.

* * *

Kate wakes up three hours later and still with her eyes closed she moves her hand to Castle's side of the bed and finds it cold and empty.

_Where is him?_

As a routine she reaches for her watch to find a paper next to it.

_Don't try to stop me. I'm off to Paris._

_Rick._

He did not.

"Dammit Castle." Kate storms out of the room to find Martha walking down the stairs with the same paper in her hands.

"Richard's gone to Paris." The actress says in a soft, scared tone.

"I told him not to de stupid things." Kate groans, "I told him to let me do my job and now he's gone…"

"Kate…" Martha calls out for the detective, "I kind of understand him and I know deep in your heart you do too. Imagine if it was your child who had been kidnapped? Wouldn't you do the same?"

_Of course. Without a doubt._

"I would but I am trained for this and Castle isn't… what if he gets himself in danger?"

"Kate, you know him. He's going to be all right. Now do whatever you need to do and bring them back." Martha tells the detective who immediately runs back to Castle's bedroom and within fifteen minutes she's out of the loft, on her way to the precinct.

Martha waits until she's alone to grab her cell and dial a number.

"_You have to help Richard. He's off to Paris."_

* * *

_**And booooom!**_

_**Thoughts?**_


End file.
